It’s no rare phenomenon to feel stressed on a weekly or even daily basis. Our modern lives contain so many factors that can add to our stress load, including our jobs, personal relationships, and finances. There are many ways to treat stress, like exercise and connecting with nature, but taking the time to do these things can sometimes feel like a chore and often adds even a little more stress to our plate. However, there’s one small solution that is proven to reduce stress, improve your mood, and even smells good: flowers!
Studies and research on the impact of flowers are abundant. It’s no secret that getting into nature helps boost your mood and relieves stress and anxiety. So, when it’s too much to get your hiking boots on, you can bring the outside in! Fresh flowers are an easy way to bring some life and beauty into your home – and they may help your mood more than you know.
Flowers don’t just make people feel good when they receive them. Fresh blooms can have a lasting effect on wellbeing even after they’ve expired. Harvard Medical School research shows that having flowers at home boosts energy and enthusiasm while easing stress and anxiety. Participants in the study even reported increased feelings of kindness and compassion towards others.
The director of this study, Nancy Etcoff, Ph.D., says , “As a psychologist, I’m particularly intrigued to find that people who live with flowers report fewer episodes of anxiety and depressed feelings. Our results suggest that flowers have a positive impact on our well being.”
Home isn’t the only place we need stress relief, though. For many, work can be the most pressing cause of stress and anxiety in our lives, which can lead to poor performance on the job, which then adds more stress. Thankfully, fresh flowers can provide just as much help in the office as they do at home.
A study performed by Texas A&M University observed the effects of fresh flowers and plants at work over eight months. Participants were asked to perform creative problem-solving tasks in common office environments. When in a setting with plants and flowers, participants generated more ideas and original solutions, and produced more creative and flexible ideas than they did in environments which were plain or contained only minor decorations. Harvard research suggests that even having flowers at home can have a positive impact on enthusiasm and performance at work.
There’s also a way that flowers can improve your mood while also making someone else happy, and that’s sending flowers! Research by Rutgers University shows that receiving flowers creates instant happiness and enjoyment. Study participants reported feelings of happiness for days after receiving flowers, and also led to increased contact with family and friends. Gift-giving and generosity improve feelings of happiness and human connectivity, allowing us to feel more connected and helpful to those people we give to. Sending flowers to someone who you know is struggling is a beautiful and compassionate way to lift their spirits as well as your own.
With so much research pointing to one conclusion, we find it impossible to deny the positive impact of flowers on mental health and wellbeing. Certainly, this is no news to us – we see the effects of flowers every day, and our customers’ smiles don’t lie! However, having the research from so many studies gives us the confidence we need to know that we are truly helping improve people’s lives.
More information about the health benefits of flowers can be found by clicking here.
By Grace McDonald
Austin, TX
